ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE -A GLOBAL ISSUE OF CONCERN

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is currently the greatest challenge to the effective treatment of infections globally. Resistance adversely affects both clinical and financial therapeutic outcomes, with effects ranging from the failure of an individual patient to respond to therapy and the need for expensive and/or toxic alternative drugs to the social cost of higher morbidity and mortality rates, longer duration of hospitalization, and the need for changes in empirical therapy. Thus the astonishing effects of antibiotics, the occurrence of resistance and the considerable resources spent on antibiotics globally are convincing reasons for concern about ensuring adequate and proper use of these powerful agents.